Should You Replace Your Lawnmower (With A Goat)?
Why I Want One
For the last year, I have preoccupied myself with dreams of owning goats. Not only am I sick of the hot vibrating handle on lawnmowers, but the burning gas smell and itchy red hands after cutting grass. What's a good alternative? An adorable eating machine. However, after researching I found out some complications in putting up with these animals.
One thing that author of "Pros and Cons of Urban Goats", article on allthingsgoat.com, cautions is the fact that "Goats aren't dogs". He insists that it "only takes one broken neck to prove why you should have a fenced exposure", and that they are more like a baby in the fact you need to goat-proof everything around your house. Another great article, "How to Care for Goats" by Sadie423 here on Hubpages gives all kinds of tips to make your furry friend happy, such as giving them the right amount of water (she admits to using about 5 gallons once a day!) "Pros and Cons" also says that goats are noisy: "your neighbors don't want to hear how excited or lonely or bored your goats are." Preferable country space, got it.
While goats do eat grass, they are notorious for eating weeds. A full time worker at the Tehama County Farm Bureau in California says "they'll go for the stickers and pokey things before they go for the grass" (Modern Farmer). Like you would do with a toddler, you need to get rid of loose wires and pointy things you don't want eaten. Water is a natural border, as goats don't care for the substance.
The article also points out how many plants are poisonous to goats, such as tomato vines, rhododendrons, and oleander.
Goats also happen to be social creatures, and article "How to get a Goat to Weed your Garden" advises getting at least two.
Regardless of the complications, goats are obviously a great green alternative, one many companies have picked up on. The congressional cemetery in Washington, D.C. used goats to control nuisance plants. A place named Heritage Lawn Mowing located in Ohio allows customers to rent sheep for as low as $1 a day--not goats, but similar furry herbivores. Several sites I visited recommended the website and company Eco-Goats, which also helps you find your companion.
Because I am curious by nature, I also checked out various goats for sale to get a brief idea for how much they cost. Scapegoat Ranch near Nashville, TN advertised baby goats from prices around $100-$350, and they have been pre-vaccinated--not a bad deal!
I can't wait to get some of these hilarious, adorable animals. It might be hard work, but I think it's worth it.
References!
- Raising Goats: How to Care for Your Goats
Goats are pretty easy to keep, find out how much space and food they need and how to provide basic care for these friendly and curious animals - Eco-Goats : Got Invasives? Get Goats!
- Home - SCAPEGOAT RANCH
Registered mini fainting goats and registered nigerian dwarfs - How to Get a Goat to Weed Your Garden - Modern Farmer
There have been a lot of headlines about using goats as living lawnmowers. Google famously used goats on an undeveloped section of its campus, and more rec - Pro and Cons of Urban Goats | All Things Goat
We post a lot about the benefits of backyard goats but any prospective goat tender should also be aware of the other side of the coin. Goats are not dog... - Cuter Than a Lawnmower: Would You Let a Goat Mow Your Lawn? | Apartment Therapy